Death Certification — Flashcards

Flashcard 1: If air enters the liquor amnii after the death of the fetus, _____ occurs instead of maceration.

Answer: putrefaction

Flashcard 2: Warm and humid weather is a favourable condition for _____ formation.

Answer: adipocere (post-mortem change)

Flashcard 3: Cadaveric spasm only indicates _____ of death.

Answer: manner (manner/time)

Flashcard 4: _____ rule describes the sequential onset of rigor mortis in the various muscle groups.

Answer: Nysten's

Flashcard 5: Postmortem marbling starts in _____ hours and becomes prominent in 36-48 hours.

Answer: 24

Flashcard 6: Time since death can be calculated using the formula: _____

Answer: (98.4 - Rectal temperature) / 1.5

Extra: This is known as Glaister's formula. It estimates the Post-Mortem Interval (PMI) in hours. (Note: Temperature is in Fahrenheit; 1.5 is the average rate of cooling per hour).

Flashcard 7: The order of appearance of rigor mortis (Nysten's Law) is: _____

Answer: Eyelids → Jaw → Neck → Trunk → Upper limbs → Lower limbs

Extra: Rigor mortis follows Nysten's Law, typically appearing in a cranio-caudal (downward) direction. It also disappears in the same order it appeared. Sequence: Eyelids → Jaw → Neck → Trunk → Upper limbs → Lower limbs. Note: The heart is the first muscle to develop rigor mortis (within 1 hour).

Flashcard 8: Two reliable indicators suggesting that the victim was alive while the fire was in progress:1. Elevated levels of _____ in the circulating blood.2. Carbon particles in the air passages and lungs

Answer: carbon monoxide

Flashcard 9: _____ appears on the sclera 3-4 hours after death

Answer: Tache noire

Extra: Tache noire occurs due to the drying (desiccation) of the exposed part of the sclera when the eyelids are open after death. It is characterized by brownish-black triangular spots on either side of the cornea.

Flashcard 10: _____ is an artefact that mimics extradural haemorrhage.

Answer: Heat hematoma